Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables and Halloumi

With zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, onions and garlic, roasted Mediterranean vegetables and halloumi make an easy vegetarian sheet pan meal.

Ever since we’ve had warm days here and there, I have been craving grilled anything, especially veggies.

Our grill is patiently waiting for a propane tank refill, and we haven’t made time to take care of it. I’m hoping check this errand off my to-do list in the next few days.

My cooking transitions outside starting in May. No matter if it involves a salad or a pizza, I find a way to grill part of it or all of it.

Nothing beats a little char and grill marks.

But I know not everyone has access to a gas or charcoal grill.

I’m a big fan of a grill pan that can go right on top of a burner on the stove. It’s a great way to grill vegetables indoors.

And I never can turn my back on my oven, the year round hero when it comes to food prep and specifically roasting vegetables.

You can’t go wrong with a sheet pan, a little olive oil, salt, pepper and a mix of veggies.

I have a grilled version of these roasted Mediterranean vegetables and halloumi that’s one of my summer favorites.

Inspired by the original version on skewers, this recipe takes a turn involving a sheet pan and the oven instead.

It’s more approachable on weeknights and for those who don’t have a grill. 

What is Halloumi?

Salty in the best way, halloumi is a cheese hailing from Cyprus that can stand up to heat.

This semi-hard cheese is made from goat’s or sheep’s milk or a combination of both.  

The best part is that halloumi has a high melting point, so you can grill it, pan fry it or roast it.

The Ingredients

This is what you need for the recipe:

• Vegetables: I use zucchini, yellow, red onions, red peppers and halved grape tomatoes. They are a rainbow of colors and flavors.
• Olive Oil: No Mediterranean recipe is complete without olive oil. I toss the vegetables in olive oil, salt and pepper right on the sheet pan before they go in the oven. You also need olive oil in the herby sauce.
• Garlic: Individual garlic cloves roast in their skins. Then I incorporate them into the herby parsley sauce.
• Halloumi: Once you have halloumi, you will be hooked on its salty and tangy bite. It goes so well with the vegetables.
• Herby Sauce: With lots of parsley, lemon juice and roasted garlic, you can make the pesto-inspired sauce in a food processor.
• Grains: I like serving the vegetables and halloumi with cooked grains such as barley, couscous or farro.

How To Make Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables and Halloumi

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Then toss the zucchini, squash, red onions, red peppers, tomatoes and garlic with olive oil, salt and black pepper right on a sheet pan. Spread them out and roast the veggies for about 25 minutes.

Next, pull the sheet pan out of the oven and add the cubed halloumi. Continue roasting for 10 minutes or so until the halloumi is golden. 

With the vegetables and cheese out of the oven, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins into a food processor. Then add parsley, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper and puree the mixture. Next drizzle in the olive oil.

Spoon the sauce on the sheet pan and toss around the vegetables and halloumi, so everything is coated. 

You can serve the veggies and cheese with grains like barley, quinoa, farro or couscous.

Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables and Halloumi

• Author: Paige Adams
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
• Total Time: 40-45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 1x

With zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, onions and garlic, roasted Mediterranean vegetables and halloumi make an easy vegetarian sheet pan meal.

Ingredients

For vegetables and halloumi

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 small red onion, sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 red pepper, diced 1/2-inch

1–1/2 cups halved lengthwise grape tomatoes

5 garlic cloves, skin-on

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 pound halloumi cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For herby sauce

1 cup parsley leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

Cooked grains for serving (i.e. barley, quinoa, farro, couscous)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a sheet pan, toss the zucchini, squash, red onions, red peppers, tomatoes and garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Spread into a single layer. Roast for 25 minutes until the vegetables are starting to brown at the edges. Turn them over and scatter the halloumi on the pan. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is lightly golden. Save the roasted garlic for the sauce.

For the herby sauce, squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into a food processor. Add the parsley, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Puree the mixture, chopping the parsley leaves. With the motor running, drizzle the olive oil through the feeder tube until the mixture is fully combined.

Spoon the sauce onto the vegetables and halloumi on the sheet pan. Gently toss around to coat everything.

Serve with cooked grains.